There are roughly two categories of inks currently on the market:
First line fountain pen brand ink.
Montblanc, Pelikan, Aurora, Platinum, etc. are all first-line fountain pen brands.
The quality is top notch and will meet the needs of most pen users without any issues. Apart from the color difference, its properties are quite balanced, and there will be no too abrupt inks, such as excessive bleeding on paper, excessive difficulty in drying, excessive fluidity, etc.
Independent brand ink.
If you have more demands for ink performance, features and colors, you need to pay attention to independent ink brands, such as Noodler’s, Private reserve, De atramentis, Jherbin and other independent brand inks.
The ink series of these independent brand inks can be described as dazzling.
They can produce inks of various colors and performance according to market demand. Their response to market information is measured in days, which some first-line traditional brands cannot do.
For example, Pelikan only has eight colors, while Private reserve ink has forty colors and is still under development.
How to choose fountain pen ink
When choosing fountain pen ink for a fountain pen, you generally need to consider these five aspects:
(1) Pick a color.
To determine what color you need, refer to the color card or the store's color label and choose the color you want.
(2) Look at the writing environment.
It mainly depends on what kind of paper you usually use: if your paper has many choices and is of good quality, and you don’t have to worry about smearing and smearing problems, then you have more room to choose in inks. Otherwise, it is recommended to choose anti-smearing properties. Better ink.
(3) What problems does the current fountain pen ink cause?
For example: the ink is too dark or too light, the ink often turns white when writing, etc.
(4) Consider pen performance.
For example: Heart of Darkness ink itself can meet the needs of bulletproof, but it is not suitable for use on Montblanc pens, because Montblanc already emits water, and when it is coated with Heart of Darkness, it will spray even more.
(5) Special needs for pen ink.
The pen and ink itself has many functions. You must first determine whether or which functions you need.
For example, if you are correcting students' homework, you don't need bulletproof performance. 4001 red ink is enough.
Another example: your pen has a converter, so there is no need to lubricate the piston.
In short: the simpler the functions of pen ink, the better. Don’t try to cover all functions with one ink.
After completing these steps, you can basically choose the ink.
Of course the most important thing is to try.
A practical guide to choosing ink
Having said that, how to choose ink depends on your needs for the ink: do you want waterproofness, ink color, non-bleeding, or quick-drying requirements?
(1) Blue and black ink
As one of the most common inks, blue-black ink is an ink that has the ability to dry quickly and has high writing durability (waterproof and sunproof), so it is preferred by those in need, such as doctors and students. .
This kind of fountain pen ink is usually made by ink manufacturers using dyes or pigments dissolved in water. Each ink manufacturer will have one or two types of this kind of ink.
Representatives: Pelikan4001 royal blue, ostrich blue and black, Sharaku blue ink, etc.
(2) Carbon ink
The main component of carbon ink is carbon. It has very stable chemical properties under normal temperature and pressure, is not easy to react with other substances, and has good waterproof performance. Therefore, the advantage of text written with carbon ink is that it is easy to preserve and does not fade easily. The ink has high concentration and dark color, and the writing on the paper is clear and eye-catching.
However, this type of ink has been criticized a lot because it clogs the pen, almost to the point where it will condense into a ball if you don't write for two or three days. Very fine pen tips such as EF nibs need to be paid attention to. . However, nanoscale carbon inks are now available, and this pen clogging situation has been greatly improved.
(3) Color ink
Color inks come in the most diverse colors, but they are generally not waterproof, and the pigments or dyes are too water-soluble, so it is quite troublesome to see them stain when you rub them in and disappear as soon as you flush them.
Representative work: Montblanc in various colors, including black.
